Chasing Justice: A Matt Royal Mystery Read Free Page B

then he started developing on the mainland. Condos, mostly. He was rough on his subcontractors. Lots of complaints about shoddy work from the people who bought his places.
    “We had to pull him off his wife a couple of times when he beat the hell out of her. She refused to press charges both times. She finally kicked him out a couple of months ago, filed for divorce, and got a restraining order against him.”
    “Where is she now?” asked J.D.
    “She’s still living in the family home on the bay.”
    “Any children?”
    “No.”
    “How old was he?”
    “Forty-five, maybe. Maggie, the wife, is about ten years younger.”
    “Harry asked me to check the house and see if anybody’s there and to deliver the death notice. Nobody was home. I’ll try later.”
    “I’ll go,” Lester said. “I’ve known Maggie for a long time.”
    “Thanks, Chief. That’s a load off.”

CHAPTER FOUR
    The call came at three in the morning, a time when a ringing phone can only mean trouble or tragedy, or maybe both. I fumbled in the dark, finally grabbing the receiver and answering.
    “Matt,” the voice on the other end said, “this is Bill Lester. The FDLE just arrested Abby.”
    “FDLE?”
    “Florida Department of Law Enforcement.”
    “I know what it is.” My head was clearing itself of sleep. “What’s going on?”
    “I don’t know. Two agents showed up, knocked on the door, and told me they had a warrant for her arrest and a search warrant for our house. They took her computer, gave her time to get dressed, and then put her in cuffs. They just left.”
    “Where are they taking her?” I asked.
    “Sarasota County Jail, they said.”
    “What are the charges?”
    “Murder.”
    “Murder?” No way in hell, I thought. Abby didn’t have it in her. “Bullshit,” I said. “Who is it she was supposed to have killed?”
    “Nate Bannister.”
    “That prick?”
    “Yeah, that prick.”
    “What’s Abby’s connection to him?”
    “None that I’m aware of. I don’t think she knew the man.”
    “What else do you know, Chief?”
    “Nothing about why Abby’s involved in this thing. I knew the man had been murdered.”
    “How did you know that?”
    “Harry Robson called J.D. yesterday asking about Bannister. Apparently, he was shot in his condo in downtown Sarasota. I went to see his wife and told her about his death.”
    “How did she take it?”
    “She wasn’t broken up, that’s for sure. He spent a lot of years beating the hell out of her before she screwed up the courage to throw his worthless ass out.”
    “Harry’s Sarasota PD,” I said. “Why is the FDLE involved?”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Anything else?”
    “That’s it. I need you to go play lawyer and find out what you can. I told her not to say anything until you got there.”
    “Okay, Bill. Let me get a shower, and I’ll head downtown. You sit tight until you hear from me. Don’t talk to anyone. Got it?”
    “Got it. Matt, Abby’s not capable of murder. She didn’t know Bannister and she sure as hell didn’t go to his condo and kill him. Something’s terribly wrong about all this.”
    “I’m sure you’re right, Bill. I’ll be in touch as soon as I meet with Abby. I may not get a whole lot of information until the clerk of courts’ office opens and I can see all the paperwork.”
    “Let me know something as soon as you can.”
    “I’ll talk to you as soon as I see Abby.”
    J.D. had stirred when the phone rang, and by the time I hung up, she was sitting on the edge of the bed. “Bill Lester?” she asked.
    “Yes.”
    “What was that all about?”
    “His wife was arrested by FDLE a few minutes ago.”
    “Abby? For what?”
    “Murder.”
    “You’re kidding. Who’s the victim?”
    “Nate Bannister.”
    “This is nuts. Abby didn’t do this. She’s not a killer.”
    “I agree, but they must have some pretty good evidence to arrest the wife of a police chief.”
    “Harry Robson’s working that case,” she said.